Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-10-28
HUNTING JACK RABBITS.
ONE OF THE MOST ExHiLARATiNG
SPORTS KNOWN OUT WEST.

@ Hunt.
Que Of the most exhilarating sports known
in the west is jack rabbit coursing On the
plains. A brace Of racing grFyhounds held
wiih1~h7ash, followed by a score OF more OF
lovers of the sport on horseback, start out on
bracing winter morning, when thele is u
light covering of snow on the ground, for the
places where tho jcE rabbits ara won't to
congregate The jack rabbit is unknown in
the eastern part OF this county. He is the
counterpart Of the English hare He ia larger
than the common rabbit or cotton tail.n He
has long legs, and in race Ia runner
worthy the attention Of the hsetest Of grey
hounds. The coursers search in the SHOW for o
fresh jack rabbit track and follow it up. When
the rabbit is spied the hounds are let loose and
rush after him. The whole crowd Of horse
men follow after, whoooing and yelling and
| urging on their horses TO the top of their
speed.
The hounds do not attempt at first to catch
the rabbit. They are TOO wary for that. They
simply try to run him down. Ths jack rab-
bit is an expert at dodging, and the hounds
| try to head him off whenever he attempts to
make sharp turn At last, by superior
/
they succeed in tiring him out, and he falls
aa easy victim. Every time hound heads
rabbit off it is a point in his favor. Two
| points are placed to the credit OF the dog
| which catches the rabbit. A referee, mounted
on swift, sure horse, leads tho followers Of
the dogs and marks the points In this way
| 1t is decided which hound wins Stakes Of
from SIS to 500 are usually upon these races.
AN EXCITING TINE.
MIR. Alomzo Williams, who spent several
| years in Colorado and is an enthusiastic lover
OF the sport, tells the following story OF his
last coulsing experience on the plains:
We were riding along the dry bed of an
arroyo, and were just coming around mass
of rocks when we heard a sharp hist! from
Bill There, not twenty feet ahead of Us,
was a big jack rabbit sitting up in front OF a
little cave % niche in the rocks lie saw us
and was off like u white streak over the
rocks In an instant Bill slipped the leash
from the straining, painting dogs. With a
dash they were off, and the whole Yelling
crowd were after them, spurring on their
narses at the top of their speed
The country was unusually hiiy right
there One minute we would be dashng over
II sharp bluff aud down steep hill Again
/, high hill would shut off from sight for "a
,, moment the dodgmg rabbit and the dogs.
W tie hill we would rush peli neil and
would get a better view from the top of the
spirited chase That was ruu long 10 he re-
membered The old rabbit was all unusually
large one, and was apparently possessed of
| great toughness of muscle and strength OF
lung.
ID ..,.l,a
fully five minutes before they caught up &c
him at all, although they We're straining
every nerve Flora was bounding over the
snow with long leaps, her snout thrust dowr
r. almost to the ground. Belle was dashihg
along, with head erect and every muscle al
its greatest tension The old rabbit was
bounding along on its hind legs, looking hkt
Y nothing but streak of light brown OH tn,
snow.
Finally they caught up with him. Thei
It the fun began. He circled and lodged anG
z doubled Oh his trail time and again until ",
!. began to think they never would catch him
" Now they are right on to him The old rah
bit makes Ia sudden dash to the left. Flora i
too quick for him She wheels and drive
| HIM back to his former course 'Hooray
- score one point for Floral Everybody erie
I out Nobody pays any attention to the cry
! but the riders keep mp the constant shoHtIn:
4 and yelling, probably as a vent for the ex
citement of the moment. On they go, til
rabbit trying all manner of dodges To shak
l off his pulsuerS Now he tries the doubhn!
Il dodge He wheels quickly and starts haeI
between the two dogs toward the horseinen.
NEARING THE END.
with a few strides Belle is ahead of hin
4 and sends him back about his business. Til
! rabbit Is now beginning to show signs q
4 fatigue He does less running and NOR
= dodeiug The dogs are apparently as fires
| as ever and can run all around him and hea
= him off wherever he starts TO go. But the
| can't catch him yet He Is too artful All
slippery for them. But he won't last long
| His struggles to get free are becoming weake
" and weaker He and the hounds are running
nj n, turning and twisting in every direction Al
ch cording to the referees count Flora has no'
he scored six points and Belle five.
IL Suddenly the bid seemed 10 turn aroun
is and found myself lying on my back wit
il, what seemed to be about forty hoofs wavin
TX over my bead. The saddle had turned aroun
on to the little bronco's stomach. He ra
= off about twenty yards and began to kic
Wildly al tne sduuieJ winch H1u ho" idie
down on to his iind legs. A moment late
he had sent the saddle flying into the air al
-s was off over the plal:ls at headlong run
=. Il heard a shout frocl the men at the foC
of the hill. l jumped up and, forgetting m
bruises and vanishing pony, saw the finish
the preitIest race it was ever my good 70
{, tune to witness. The rabbit bad made fol
iodges and each dog had scored two point
making the score 8 to i'll favor of Flor
- Just as looked up Belle had made q chars
on the rabbit, thrust her long nose under b
left fore leg and thrown him in the air. II
,n two dogs pounced upon him as he fell and
ted an instant the race was over. Belle had We
h' by a score of to 8"-Philadelphia Times